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A Winning Hand with Three Pears: Infused, Poached and Sparkling

Some prefer an hourglass but barman Christopher Bender prefers a pear.

To be specific, a Bartlett pear—that curvaceous golden-hued fruit that ranges in flavor and texture from tart and crisp to ultra sweet and juicy. One way to capture the lightly floral character of a Bartlett pear is to bottle-infuse it in vodka.

Enjoy the pear-infused vodka over rocks or use as the base spirit in The Bartlett, a variation of a classic sparkling sour.

A well-crafted sour is like an epiphany: spirit, fresh citrus juice and sugar. Traditional sour recipes barely resemble that of the barbed, saccharine pre-made sour mixes we find behind most bars today. The Bartlett shines with bright citrus and pear-infused dimension, striking a slightly sweet and astringent balance. The aromatics of the cocktail explode with the sparkling pear cider top while the garnish of pears poached in Port and agave serve as a delightfully decadent accent.